


The Three Dates Of Christmas

by Huntress79



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, Dating, Engaged Bucky/Shuri, Established Relationship, F/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Romantic Fluff, Snow, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, as in Bucky going back to live in Wakanda after his final scene in Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21757204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: Wakanda might probably never get any snow, at least not everywhere, but that’s not stopping Bucky from taking Shuri on three very Christmas-related dates throughout December.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Shuri, T'Challa/Nakia (background; mentioned)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13
Collections: Heroes of Winter 2019





	The Three Dates Of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> written for the Heroes Of Winter prompt fest. I chose “Ice skating, hot chocolate and the first drops of snow make for a great first date”, but I tweak it a bit in the way that these two lovebirds already had some dates. Set after Endgame, with Bucky back in Wakanda for good. Enjoy!

*********************

To be honest, if Sam and the rest of the “new” Avengers hadn’t sent him a specialized Advent Calendar (with them as miniature chocolate figurines), Bucky wouldn’t have remembered Christmas at all. Sure, he had the memories of Christmases past, but since Wakanda not really had seasons in the traditional sense for a Brooklyn boy, it was easy to lose track of the time of the year.

Nonetheless, that rather small token gave Bucky an idea. He wanted to have Shuri learn, or better, experience something he always had loved, even when times were hard. For him, Christmas never was about gifts. It was more about spending quality time with family and selected friends, and just forgetting the hardship that was life all year round.

If possible, the people of Wakanda were even more friendly towards Bucky ever since T’Challa presented him as Shuri’s fiancé, stating with a smile that both he and Queen Mother Ramonda couldn’t ask for a better man to share a future life with their sister and daughter.

And so, Bucky was only mildly surprised when some Wakandians tagged themselves onto his plan. For the first idea, he didn’t need that much help, but he knew that at some point down the road, he would have to rely on any of them, in any capacity.

To start off their “Three Dates of Christmas”, as Okoye, of all people, labeled them when Bucky told her about, he organized a romantic dinner at the palace, which would be finished off with traditional hot chocolate, based on a receipt courtesy of Sam’s mother.

Walking into the hallway outside her lab, Bucky couldn’t help but smile when he saw his fiancée. As always, her energy and enthusiasm for inventing new things and solving problems seemed to be infused into the whole building, and if he was honest, it was the one thing that Bucky loved the most about her.

“Hey, doll,” Bucky said in lieu of a greeting, and the beautiful, radiant smile he got in response was turning his knees into jelly even more than they already were. God, how on Earth did he get so lucky and land this wonderful woman?

“Hey, White Wolf, missing me?” Shuri teased, her eyes aglow with an exciting mix of joy and mischief.

“Always,” Bucky gave back with a smile. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

That got Shuri stopping what she was working on and coming up to his side. Ever since they managed to break the hold HYDRA had on him, she was extremely attuned to him and immediately worried for a relapse.

“Are you okay, my love?” she asked, locking her gaze with his.

“Yeah, absolutely.” Bucky let out a chuckle while grabbing Shuri around the waist. “To be honest, I’ve never been better, my whole life.”

“Good to hear, but I can’t help but sense that something’s a tad off with you,” Shuri analyzed.

“And you’re completely right, but it’s nothing to worry about it. It’s just…”

“What? Don’t be such a tease, Bucky!”

“Don’t work too long today, okay? I have a little surprise for you, but you have to be on time in order to get it.”

With that, and a wink, Bucky was out of the lab before Shuri even had the chance to come up with a single word. Only then, she noticed the small envelope lying on the edge of the desk. She immediately grabbed it and opened it – and felt her heart growing wider with love for Bucky.

__

_“My love, since I know how much you love your work, I have arranged for Ayo to pick you up at 18:00. She will bring you back to our apartment, but don’t worry when you won’t see me there. You will see why when she brings you to another destination._

 __

__

_Love, Bucky”_

With a deep, though happy sigh, Shuri put the card in one of the pockets of her skirt and went to set a timer for 17:45.

Bucky, in the meantime, had some things to do. He already had a long talk with the palace’s chef about the best menu for their date, and the woman assured him that she and her team will do their best to get everything, but especially the dessert, perfect for the occasion. His next stop was the greenery, where he not only ordered some flower decorations for the balcony he had selected for their date, but also a colorful rose bouquet for Shuri and a small boutonniere for him. Last but not least, Bucky met with his future brother-in-law, the King.

“I take it my sister said yes to your plan?” T’Challa asked the second Bucky crossed the threshold into the King’s personal office.

“More or less,” Bucky began, only to be met with a raised eyebrow. “I only told her that she shouldn’t work too long today, as I have a surprise for her. And I left her a small card, explaining a bit more.” He sat down opposite T’Challa. “Should I have done more? Dating was so much different, from what I remember, back then when I was active doing it.”

“No, Bucky, I don’t think so. My sister loves you, more than her work or anything else in this world, and she would follow you to Hell and back, if that’s what it takes. So, don’t worry too much, okay?” T’Challa suddenly got up, startling Bucky for the fraction of a second. “Come on, I have something for you.”

With that, the king was striding over to another door that connected the office with his personal quarters. Bucky followed, though a bit hesitant. He had no problem coming into the office, but entering the personal quarters of another man, especially a king, was a different island, so to speak.

“Don’t worry, Nakia is at a summit right now, and even if she was here, she wouldn’t mind seeing you here.” Now it was Bucky’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “My future queen might be one of the most headstrong women both of us have ever met, but she’s always willing to give people another chance to change her point of view of them. And she saw, and heard, about all your troubles and tribulations and about your iron will to turn everything around and become a better man once again.” T’Challa stopped and turned around to face Bucky. “And that’s something not only Nakia, but me as well only can respect and honor by letting you into every part of our lives.”

“Thank you, my king,” Bucky gave back, his voice heavily laced with emotion. “For everything, especially for trusting me with your sister’s life.”

“Let’s just say she didn’t leave me and Mother a lot of room for arguments at all,” T’Challa replied with a laugh. He went on to pass over to a table near the windows, picking up a stack of fabric lying there.

“Here, I have ordered my tailor to have a new ‘suit’ made for you,” T’Challa explained while handing the stack over to Bucky.

“I don’t want to appear as ungrateful, but I have some suits….”

“I know that, White Wolf, but to be honest, you usually stick out in them like… a sore thumb, I guess is the right word. This one, and the ones I have ordered as well, are a tad more aligned with our traditional wardrobe. And don’t worry, the left sleeve should fit in any case.”

Walking back to their shared apartment some minutes later, Bucky was glad that he had a Dora Milaje with him. Otherwise, he would probably lost his way in the large palace, since his mind was still reeling, not only from T’Challa’s words, but also from the generousness the King had expressed to him, not for the first time since Steve brought him here after Siberia.

*********************

A couple of hours later, Bucky was a mess. Not in the physical, but in the mental sense. Back before the war, he always prided himself on being able to keep the calm, but now, his nerves were out to get the better of him. But why? He already had won Shuri’s heart, the wedding was planned for the spring, so he had nothing to prove to anyone anymore.

“Oh boy,” Okoye exclaimed when she got a good look at him. For some reasons unknown to Bucky, the General of the Dora Milaje had taken a liking to him, almost immediately after he was brought here. And she usually was his first choice to ask when he wanted to do something nice for Shuri.

She also was the one that suggested his current hair style, stating that long hair was not quite the best match for the constant warm climate in Wakanda. And so Bucky got himself a nice short haircut right after the Stark funeral.

With Okoye’s help (and a bit of ribbing), Bucky finished his preparations and got dressed in the new suit that T’Challa had given him.

“Sweet Lord, you look fabulous,” Okoye said while letting her eyes roaming over Bucky. He truly was a sight to behold. The suit was cut like T’Challa’s usual wardrobe, the top going down to half his thighs, like the trousers in a deep shade of blue, both pieces embroidered with a stunning silver and gold pattern.

“You think so?” Bucky asked while turning around and looking at himself through the floor-length mirror.

“Absolutely, and the princess will be speechless once she sees you.” She came up, stopped him with a hand to the shoulder and went to fix the collar for him. “You’re a wonderful man, White Wolf, and Shuri is the luckiest woman on this planet for becoming your wife.”

“Thank you, General…”

“Oh, shush! I’m off-duty, in a manner, so I’m just plain Okoye.”

“You might be a lot of things, Okoye,” Bucky said while grabbing the General’s hand, “but you’ll never be plain to me.”

*********************

At long last, Bucky finally was at the balcony, taking in everything in front of him. It still amazed him how much everyone was willing to help him. If you live a life like he had, even the smallest and most random acts of kindness were bound to set you off, in a positive way. But what the people of Wakanda did for him on an almost daily basis was more than he could ever ask for.

“Bucky? Are you here?”

The clear voice of his love brought Bucky back to the reality.

“Yes, love, I’m here,” he called out, “just come out to the balcony.”

Only heartbeats later, Bucky was met with a sight that would have made him fallen in love with Shuri right now, if he wasn’t already head over heels for the princess.

Dressed in a calf-long silver dress with dark blue embroidery, Shuri was a sight for sore eyes and so stunningly beautiful that Bucky felt his heart overflow with love for her. And he realized that T’Challa was a sneaky guy after all, if the matching colors of their clothes were anything to count for.

“Bucky? What is that all?” Shuri asked while coming up to him, her dark eyes roaming over his whole body.

“Just me trying to not only express my love for you, once again, but also to introduce you to something I’ve come to love in my old life.”

“Your old life? You mean, before the war?”

“Yeah, that too.” He pulled her close to him. “But mostly the life before I met you. Before I got reminded that even a man like me could be loved so unconditionally.”

“Don’t make me cry, White Wolf. Ayo put in quite some time to make me look good.”

“And she did a wonderful, though absolutely unnecessary job. You know that I love you just the way you are, and that you still would be the most beautiful sight in this whole wide world if you would stand here covered in grease and dirt from head to toe.”

Before Shuri could come up with an answer, Bucky led her over to the small table and began to serve the meal. While eating, they both kept the conversation lightly, talking about random things – until it was time for the dessert and Shuri was rendered speechless, if only for a minute or two.

“Bucky, what is this? I mean, I see that this is some kind of beverage, but other than that…,” she trailed off.

“That, my love, is one of the best things I remember about Christmas the way my family used to celebrate it – hot chocolate, made from the best cocoa the kitchen crew here at the palace could get, based on a recipe Sam lent me.” Bucky opened a small glass container and showed its contents to Shuri. “And if you want, with marshmallows. It’s not everybody’s thing to have them in a hot chocolate, though, so don’t feel obligated to eat them.”

“Are you gonna have them?”

“Yeah, I actually love them. Reminds me of sitting at the kitchen window, a steaming cup of hot chocolate in hands, and watching the snow coming down.”

“Well then, I’ll have some too, love.”

*********************

A couple of days after this successful first date, Bucky began planning for their second. This one might require a lot more of input from others, but fortunately, he had some strong supporters in Shuri’s lab team. And so, once he presented them with his idea, they told him that they would take care of it and that he should enjoy the results.

Which was harder than Bucky initially had expected. Sure, as a former sniper, he had some level of patience, but this was really testing his limits. Shuri did nothing to help him, quite the contrary, once she realized that he was planning a second date, she kept nagging him for details, though to no avail.

At long last, the lab techs informed him of them having finished their work, and what he could tell from the images they sent him, it was a million ways better than what he could dream of. Bucky only hoped that his clumsiness wouldn’t put too much of a dent into that perfect setting.

Again, Bucky properly asked Shuri out for the date, this time a day ahead with another beautiful bouquet delivered to her lab, with an attached card that told her that this time jeans and sweater were the perfect choice.

The next day, Bucky went to the rink way ahead of their set time, mostly due to his nerves, again. It had been a lifetime ago when he had been to the rink the last time, and with everything that had happened to him ever since then, he wasn’t sure if he ever could enjoy it to the fullest, regardless of his company.

“Penny for your thoughts, my friend,” M’Baku suddenly said next to Bucky, and try as he might, the former assassin couldn’t quite stop himself from jumping at hearing the booming baritone. Which M’Baku answered with a laugh.

“Ah, it’s nothing, just… it’s been so long that I’ve been skating at all, and if I remember correctly, I wasn’t the most graceful back then.”

“My friend, you are a fool,” M’Baku stated, rather matter-of-factly. “You really think that our princess will care about something like that when she gets to spend time with you? Away from everything else? No, she won’t, and if I were you, I wouldn’t either.” The large leader of the Jabari tribe turned on his heels, intend on leaving Bucky alone once again, but stopped midway and turned back around. “Besides, who’s gonna see it except for her? The woman who loves you more than anything in all the world?”

With that, M’Baku was gone, Bucky was left to his thoughts alone, and after some heavy thinking, he couldn’t help but agree with M’Baku – Shuri would be the only one to see him making a fool of himself, and she loved him too much to be mad at him for that. Letting that positive note float to the front of his mind, Bucky went to get ready for some lovely skating with “his” princess.

*********************

In hindsight, Bucky wouldn’t have to worry at all. Sure, he probably spent way more time on his rear than on his legs, but the pure joy Shuri exuded made more than up for it.

The moment Bucky pulled the cloth from her eyes (he had to hide where they were going somehow, after all) and she took in the rink and all, she let out a squeal so loud that Bucky thought they could hear it in all the surrounding countries, despite the dome.

“OMG, Bucky, what have you done? An ice rink? Here in Wakanda! But…? How…?”

Bucky wouldn’t admit it out loud, but having the ability to render her speechless (and that wasn’t the first time he managed to do that) made his heart swell with pride. And watching her trying to figure out how he did it was a sight to behold.

“Like Santa, I had some helpers,” he whispered in her ear, grinning when he felt her shiver in his arms.

“Who?” Shuri turned her head slightly to look into Bucky’s eyes. “I need to express some thanks to them as well.”

“Think about it – who around us knows enough to pull something like that off?”

This was another thing Bucky loved to do with Shuri. Sure, he could have gone the easy way and just tell her that her entire lab personnel was involved in that project at some point, but he loved seeing her figuring things out, seeing that beautiful woman using her genius brain to get her answers.

“You mean… no, that can’t be… or can it?”

“What do you mean?”

While saying it, Bucky felt a smile spreading on his face, which was probably giving away everything – if the light punch he got on his chest was anything to count for.

“White Wolf, you’re a sly one. How on Earth did you manage to not only get my lab people to pull this all,” she made a motion with her arm to encompass the rink, “off, but also to keep it a secret from me? I’m their boss! They shouldn’t have any secrets from me!” she exclaimed, though the broad smile she wore was belying any anger she tried to infuse in her words.

“Well, I promised them that they could use it after our date.” Shuri’s eyes got wide, so Bucky hurried to continue. “I talked to T’Challa first, and he has agreed to relocate it to some place more central in the Golden City, so that everyone can try it. He even mentioned that they should turn it into an indoor rink to make it accessible all year long.”

In the meantime, Shuri had turned in Bucky’s arms and wound her arms around his neck.

“Have I told you how much I love you, Bucky?”

“Not since breakfast, doll,” Bucky gave back.

“I love you so much, my White Wolf. Not only for being you, just the way you are, but also for going and coming up with such wonderful plans as this one behind us.” She got up on her toes, capturing his mouth with hers. “So what do you say we give it a spin?”

Which they did, for a very long time, until Bucky couldn’t feel his legs anymore. And while they were heading back to their apartment, he already hatched a plan on how to top this second date with the third on Christmas Day.

*********************

And for that, Bucky and Shuri relocated to the Jabari lands, though Shuri once again had no real idea of what was happening, apart from it being (most likely) their third Christmas-related date.

Though, truth be told, Bucky was going out on a limb here, relying on nothing else than Mother Nature herself to help him making it a perfect date. He knew it was downright crazy to even think about it, but somehow, Bucky wanted fresh snowfall for their final Christmas date. Back in Brooklyn, all those decades ago, it was bordering on a miracle if it really happened, but he somehow knew that there were a few instances where it really did snow on Christmas morning.

Being up here in the mountains with the tribe always reminded Bucky of his family back in Brooklyn. Not that the rest of Wakanda wasn’t as warmhearted, outgoing and helpful as he only could dream of, but there was something about the Jabari that really clicked with Bucky and his memories about his parents, his sister and other relatives.

On the evening of the 24th, even though they all weren’t Christians, they had a feast, followed by songs and prayers to every one of the main Gods of Wakanda. Later that night, when the kids were already asleep, M’Baku and others began to tell stories, and soon, Shuri also chimed in. At some point around midnight, the adults also called it a night, and while he was getting ready for bed, Bucky sent his own heartfelt prayer to any deity to fulfill his wish. Then the next morning came…

“Bucky!” To get her fiancé to wake up, Shuri pulled and shook him, and at long last, those wonderful, mesmerizing grey-blue eyes opened up to her. “Wake up, Love!”

“What…? Where…?” Bucky blinked several times before his eyes focused long enough to realize they were with the Jabari tribe. “Where’s the fire, my love?”

“What? There’s no fire.” Shuri gave him a look, one that not only told him that she, for once, didn’t get the true meaning of what he was saying, but also that he was acting silly in her eyes. Heaving a sigh, Bucky sat up next to her – and immediately understood what got her so excited.

Outside their room, the mountains had been turned into a Winter wonderland overnight, and even now, thick white flakes were coming down to Earth. It was, for the lack of a better word, a miraculous sight, short of being pure magic (unless Wanda had gotten a hint, somehow, and helped along).

“This…,” Shuri got up and close to the window, her whole expression one of amazement and wondering, “this is so gorgeous!” She turned back to the bed. “Is that why we are up here with the Jabari?”

“Yeah, though I wasn’t really sure if we would get some snow,” Bucky confessed. “But I thought that up here, in the mountains, our chances are definitely way better than down in the Golden City.”

“Oh, that’s for sure, Captain Obvious,” Shuri exclaimed with a smile while sitting back on the bed, snuggling up to him. “And you’re okay with snow? I mean, after everything bad that happened to you with snow and cold, I wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine,” Bucky reassured her while pulling her close. “And wanna know why?” Shuri nodded and hummed an agreement. “It’s because I’m spending these magical moments with the most wonderful, most beautiful, and most exciting woman I’ve ever had the luck to meet. And even better – she’s head over heels in love with me.”

“Ain’t that right, my White Wolf,” Shuri agreed before capturing Bucky’s lips in a steamy kiss.

*********************

The End

*********************


End file.
